Far, far away from my loving Father

Representative Text

1 Far, far away from my loving Father,
I had been wand’ring, wayward, wild,
Fearing only lest His anger
Overtake His sinful child.
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

2 Fain had I fed on the husks around me,
Till to myself I came, and said,
“Plenty have my Father’s servants,
Perish I for want of bread.”
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

3 “I will arise, though faint and weary,
Home to my Father I will go;
Woe is me that e’er I wander’d;
Ah, that I such need should know!
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

4 “Father,” I’ll say, “I have sinn’d before Thee,
No more may I be called Thy son;
Make me only as Thy servant,
Pity me, a wretch undone!” [Refrain]
Then I arose and came to my Father—
Mercy amazing! love unknown!
He beheld me, ran, embraced me,
Pardoned, welcomed, called me “son!”

Tune

ARISE is an anonymous American folk melody. Set to "Mercy, O Thou Son of David," the tune was published in William Walker's (PHH 44) Southern Harmony (1835) with the title RESTORATION. Its name was changed to ARISE (after the refrain in the ballad about the prodigal son) when it was set to Hart's te…